Elliott Metcalfe joined the firm as a partner in 2009, following a distinguished 32 year career as the Elected Public Defender for the Twelfth Judicial Circuit of Florida.  Although Mr. Metcalfe has since retired from active practice, he remains Of Counsel to the firm. Over the course of his career, Mr. Metcalfe has represented those accused of crimes at both the trial and appellate level, in juvenile cases, and in alternative programs in criminal court. In his 42 years of practice, he has tried capital murder cases, second degree murder cases, sexual batteries, arson cases, burglaries, grand thefts, child molestation cases, and a wide variety of misdemeanors. 

In addition to his extensive trial experience, Mr. Metcalfe has served in numerous distinguished positions and has been recognized and honored by his peers. He was elected Public Defender of the Twelfth Judicial Circuit of Florida in 1976 and served in that position for 32 years. He was twice elected by the other elected defenders of Florida to serve as President of the Florida Public Defender Association. He was appointed by then Governor Robert Graham to serve on the Governor’s Task Force on Criminal Justice Reform in Florida. In 1987, Mr. Metcalfe received the Distinguished Service Award for Criminal Justice from Chapter 14 of the Florida Council on Crime and Delinquency. In 2006, he received the Jim Slater Award for professionalism in the practice of criminal law in the Twelfth Judicial Circuit. Mr. Metcalfe carries an “AV Preeminent” Martindale Hubbell rating, the highest possible. He is also admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and the U.S. District Court of Appeals for the Middle District of Florida.

Elliott Metcalfe attended Monmouth University in New Jersey where he received a Bachelor of Science Degree in 1967. While there, he was recognized on the Honor Roll and received the Epsilon Pi Scholarship Award. He then attended Stetson University College of Law, where he received his J.D. degree in 1970. While at Stetson, he made both the Dean’s list and the Honor Roll. Mr. Metcalfe enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1969, and received an Honorable Discharge. He was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1970.

Mr. Metcalfe is also active and acclaimed in the community. He was a founding Board Member of Big Brothers of Sarasota County. He founded the Gulf Coast Marine Institute in Sarasota to rehabilitate juvenile offenders and provide an alternative school setting. He served on the Board of United Way of Sarasota County, the Community Alliance of Sarasota, Public Safety Committees of Manatee and Sarasota Counties, and as a Board Member of the Judicial Administrative Commission for the State of Florida. He played a significant role in creating the Drug Court for Sarasota and Manatee Counties. In October of 2008, he was recognized with the Leadership Legend Award for dedicated career service, leadership, and commitment to the Sarasota-Manatee community. In 2003, he was named Statesman of the Year by the Sarasota Republican Party. The Westcoast Center for Human Development and the Coalition for a Better Family in 2008 named him as a Flame of Distinction in the community. The Sarasota Coalition on Substance Abuse in 2007 awarded Mr. Metcalfe with the “Shining Stars” Lifetime Achievement Award for his work in reducing substance abuse. The NAACP gave him the Freedom Award for Public Service.

Mr. Metcalfe is married to Retired Circuit Judge Becky Titus, and the two of them have appeared on several popular news and talk programs, including 60 Minutes and Good Morning America, discussing the sentencing of drunk drivers.